Related Stories

The body of an elderly Indiana woman found inside a large freezer in her home must thaw out before investigators can determine how she died, but a 47-year-old man has been arrested and is suspected of killing her, police said on Tuesday.

Daniel Shoffner was jailed in the northern Indiana town of LaPorte on a preliminary charge of murder, according to the LaPorte Police Department.

Police found the body of the woman, who they have yet to publicly identify, on Sunday night after someone called in a request for a check on her well-being, said LaPorte Detective Scott Aftowski. Shoffner was at the home when police arrived.

Officials do not yet know how long she has been dead or how she died. Aftowski said the relationship between Shoffner and the woman was still unclear.

"We can't do an autopsy until she thaws out," he said. "And we have to have an autopsy to figure things out."

The woman was about 70 years old and Shoffner had been living with her since her husband died several months ago, the Indianapolis Star reported.